The Polar Archipelago

Twelve guests. One ship. The High Arctic at your fingertips.

78°13′N 15°38′E
Reserve your berthAug 24 & Sep 2, 2027 · 10 days · from $12,995
Never more than 12 guests·Founded and led by working guides·Partnered with local conservationists·Conservation stories on every departure

This is high Arctic wilderness, raw, remote, and ruled by the polar bear.

Ten days aboard the 12-berth R/V Kinfish, sailing where the ice lets us. No fixed itinerary, each morning the expedition team reads the ice chart, the weather and yesterday's sightings, and decides.

Days 2–9: Svalbard fjords and the ice edge

06:30Nautical charts and coffee. We follow the best conditions.
09:00Zodiacs down. Cruise to a walrus haul-out or glacier front, maximizing light, time, and local features.
012:30Back onboard for lunch and repositioning. Bridge open, always. Wildlife watching as we cruise.
14:00Anchored, guides ashore scouting an afternoon hike, zodiacs ready for the afternoon.
21:00The long light. Bears, whales, and birds are still awake. Serene views from the ship.
Traveling solo?

Most of our guests do. Share a twin cabin with another solo traveler and pay no supplement, or take a cabin to yourself for 70% more. Either way, you're one of twelve, never one of hundreds.

Climate change, at eye level

One day up on the sea ice, where a warming Arctic stops being a headline. The stories you bring back are the loudest thing we do; the carbon work happens quietly, published for anyone who asks.

★★★★★
"10/10, would recommend! If the ship, the crew and the guides are the best, then they will make the best of every situation and deliver the best experience. And they did!"
Anne B. · Svalbard 2026

Why twelve?

A ship of 150 sees the Arctic on a schedule. A ship of twelve follows opportunities.

When a bear appears at the floe edge, there's no queue at the rail and no announcement over a tannoy. There's you, the light, and eleven other people you'll be telling this story with for the rest of your life.

We don't rush. We explore.

150

guests on a typical expedition ship, a schedule, a tannoy, a queue at the rail.

12

guests on ours, the light decides where we go, not the itinerary.

For photographers

Zodiac positioning for low-angle light, twenty-four-hour daylight, and lens guidance from guides who shoot the Arctic every season. Full detail comes across from the current site's photography notes.

Berths & dates

DepartureCabinPer personSpaces
Aug 24, 2027Twin, shared$12,99512 berths
Sep 2, 2027Twin, shared$12,99512 berths

Reserve your berth

A short form, then a 25-minute expedition call. We reply within one business day. 30% deposit secures the berth.

FAQ & packing

Full content comes from the current site's FAQ and packing-list pages. A few to start:

How close do we actually get to the wildlife?
The Governor of Svalbard has specific rules for minimum distances to wildlife. They are: 300 metres from a polar bear on our late-August and September departures, rising to 500 metres between 1 March and 30 June, and 150 metres from a walrus haul-out, with a five-knot speed limit inside 300 metres of one. Those are legal minimums rather than targets. The standard that expedition ships work to in Svalbard goes further: an animal’s behaviour should not change because we are there. So we do not edge closer until something reacts and then stop. The aim is to never provoke the reaction at all. In practice that means a long lens earns its keep here, 400mm and up, and that some sightings are watched rather than photographed.
Can I bring a drone?
Not for use on this voyage. Guest drone use is banned in Svalbard. Drones may never be flown to approach or follow wildlife. Norwegian rules add further restrictions in Svalbard. If you are carrying one for elsewhere in your travels, it stays in the bag for the duration of the voyage.
How fit do I need to be?
Zodiac cruises and short shore walks on uneven ground. If you can get in and out of a Zodiac with a steadying hand, you're fine. No trekking.
Do I need a single cabin?
No. Most guests share a twin with another solo traveler and pay no supplement. A cabin to yourself is 70% more.
What cameras and lenses?
A long lens for wildlife (400mm plus) and a wide for landscape. We send a full kit guide on booking; the guides help in the field.
What's included?
All meals aboard, all Zodiac excursions and guiding, and the expedition team. Flights to Longyearbyen and travel insurance are not included.

The ship

R/V Kinfish. A 12-berth expedition vessel built for the ice, small enough to slip into the fjords the big ships can't reach.

Guests12
Cabins6 twin
Length~37 m
Ice classDNV ICE-C
Cruise9 kn